By: Robin Rust, State Program Administrator, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Editor’s Note

Robin recently attended the Minnesota Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit. We asked her to share about the impact of the conference on her work, her key take-aways, and how her team benefitted from the training she received. Many people ask us how best to present a request for training about digital accessibility to a supervisor or manager. We have found it helpful to include:

• Brief information about how the topic directly impacts your work, and the work being done on your team.
• Specific learning objectives you may have.
• Finally, include information about how you will share the information with your team.

While we do not know the exact dates of next year’s Minnesota Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit, they plan to have it again. Consider adding this and other digital accessibility training opportunities onto your training and development plan.

Robin’s Thoughts

Thank you for all the great offerings at the Accessibility Summit! I attended knowing there are simple things I can do over the course of my work that would improve accessibility, but I didn’t know what they were or where to learn them. The Summit included ample opportunities to learn easy tips as well as providing lots of stories and stats to demonstrate their importance. The Experience Lab was invaluable showing the impact of hearing loss, activities that test cognitive function, and I was able to use my face as a mouse!

Some of the things that surprised me were the low number of people who report having a disability compared to the number of people estimated to have one. Disabilities affect more people than most realize. A 2017 study quoted at the Summit estimated 30% of employees have an undisclosed disability. This means that many employees, unbeknownst to those around them, are dealing with an invisible disability that may impact their vision, hearing, or cognitive function. Some disabilities may come and go, such as concussion symptoms, others are permanent. As we age, there is a greater likelihood of developing a disability.

After learning valuable information at the Summit, I wanted to share the highlights with my teammates so they could benefit from my new knowledge too. I requested time in an upcoming team meeting to provide an update. In preparation, I organized my notes into 3 main points and created a simple slide presentation that could be included in the meeting notes. In an effort to recreate the Experience Lab as best as I could, I found an online demo of hearing loss and examples of color blindness tests. My teammates now have a greater awareness for the value of accessibility. Sharing the key takeaways also sparked discussion around things we can do to make sure we aren’t unintentionally excluding people, especially for those joining meetings remotely.

The more we know, the better we can understand others, relate to their unique situation, and help accommodate their ability to perform. Accessible solutions frequently benefit more than just the intended audience. Contributions to advancements in accessibility today, may create a solution that helps you in the future. For those considering attending next year, I recommend it. You may learn something that will help you improve the world for those around you, or even yourself!